Fair Use Economy Represents One-Sixth of U.S. GDP — WASHINGTON D.C. - Fair Use exceptions to U.S. copyright laws are responsible for more than $4.5 trillion in annual revenue for the United States, according to the findings of an unprecedented economic study released today.

A very silly report on "fair use" — The Computer & Communications Industry Association, a lobbying group for tech companies, has just issued a report called "Fair Use in the U.S. Economy." It purports to show that "the fair use economy" is larger than the "copyright economy."

How Windows Update Keeps Itself Up-to-Date — There have been some questions raised about how we service the Windows Update components and concerns expressed about software installing silently. I want to clarify the issue so that everyone can better understand why the self-updating of Windows Update acts the way it does.

Microsoft updates Windows without users' consent — Microsoft has begun patching files on Windows XP and Vista without users' knowledge, even when the users have turned off auto-updates. — Many companies require testing of patches before they are widely installed, and businesses …

Verizon Wireless files suit over FCC auction rules — WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Verizon Wireless has asked a federal court to overturn open-access rules that the U.S. Federal Communications Commission is imposing on the winner of valuable wireless airwaves to be auctioned this winter.

Consumer choice is always the right answer — As loyal readers of this blog know, earlier this year the Federal Communications Commission took some significant steps to giving consumers more choices when it comes to high-speed wireless Internet access. The FCC set rules for the upcoming …

Google puts $30 million behind lunar robot — update LOS ANGELES—Google on Thursday announced it has sponsored the Google Lunar X Prize, a robotic race to the moon with a purse of $30 million. — The contest invites private teams from around the world to build a robotic rover capable …

Google backs private Moon landing — Search giant Google is offering a $30m prize pot to private firms that land a robot rover on the Moon. — The competition to send a robot craft to the Moon is being run with the X-Prize Foundation. — To claim the cash, any craft reaching …

O2 finds Apple revenue-sharing to its taste — O2, the mobile phone company, laid the groundwork yesterday for an announcement of a tie-up with Apple to sell the US firm's iPhone handset. — Peter Erskine, the O2 chief executive, defended Apple's insistence that it receives a share of revenues from calls made on iPhones.

A Baffling New Phenomenon: Customized Ringtones — At last week's presentation for journalists in California, Apple unveiled a refreshed iPod lineup and several secondary developments. One of them, which I didn't have room to cover in my iPod review today, involves the availability of custom ringtones for the iPhone.

PRINCE LASHES OUT AT YOUTUBE, EBAY AND THE PIRATE BAY — UPDATE: In an attempt to "reclaim the Internet," Prince is preparing to file lawsuits against YouTube, eBay and The Pirate Bay, for allegedly encouraging copyright violations, according to one of his representatives.

Apple iPod touch — When the iPhone came out in June, many people (myself included) loved it, but wanted it without the phone—and that pesky two-year contract with AT&T Wireless. I'm no luddite, but I don't want my personal media player to ring in the middle of a song.

New Google Moon — Google has revamped their Google Moon maps site. It's not loading too well here, but maybe you're more lucky. You can now see little astronaut icons with info bubbles for specific moonlanding sites. Also, as Pau in the forum notes, the "cheese surface" easter egg …

Want to 'converse' with advertisers? Me neither — reporter's notebook SAN FRANCISCO—I admit it; I'm cynical when it comes to advertising and marketing. I believe that the sole purpose of advertising is to convince me to part with my well-earned and limited supply of money and persuade …

Local SEO For Retail Store Locators — Many companies have brick-and-mortar locations spread out across the country or around the world, and most have some type of store locator utility on their websites. Restaurant chains, hotels, retailers, service providers, and more will frequently …